Barbecue Secrets

Recipe of the Week: Wild BC Pink Salmon Two Ways

I love
pink salmon, the delicious but often overlooked species of the West
Coast. During salmon season you’ll see pinks next to the other wild
species like sockeye and coho in the seafood section of
supermarkets. It’s just as fresh, just as delicious but often costs
a lot less.

Most of
the time I see fresh pinks packaged as whole, cleaned fish, but you
can also get them in fillets in the freezer section. Here are two
great ways to cook this excellent, wild, sustainable
seafood.

Grilled Whole Pink Salmon in Foil

Makes
4-6 servings

The
following simple technique gives the fish a more subtle and
delicate flavor and texture than grilling over direct heat, and the
orange adds a lovely flavor and aroma.

1
whole, cleaned 3-4 lb | 1.5 - 2 kg wild BC pink salmon (you can
also do this with other salmon species or trout)

kosher
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 Tbsp
| 45 mL butter, at room temperature

2 Tbsp
| 25 mL chopped fresh parsley

1/2
medium white onion, peeled

2
oranges

sprigs
of parsley for garnish

Prepare
your grill for medium direct heat. Tear off a strip of heavy-duty
foil 21/2 times as long as the fish and double it. Spread 1 Tbsp |
15 mL of the butter evenly over the top surface of the foil. Place
the fish on the buttered foil. Lightlyseason
the fish inside and out with salt and pepper, and sprinkle it with
chopped parsley. Slice the onion and one of the oranges into thin
rounds and place half of the onion and orange slices inside the
body cavity and the other half on top of the fish. Daub the
remaining 2 Tbsp | 30 mL butter inside the fish and on top of the
onion and orange slices. Squeeze half the remaining orange over
everything and wrap the foil around the fish, sealing it
tightly.

Place the foil package on the cooking grate, cover the grill, and
cook the salmon for 8–12 minutes, or until the fish is just done
(about 140 to 150˚F | 60 to 66˚C). You can poke a meat thermometer
through the foil in the last few minutes of cooking to check for
doneness. To serve, open up the foil, carefully transfer the fish
to a warmed platter, and pour the juices left in the foil over the
fish (alternatively, it looks great served in the foil, too).
Garnish the salmon with orange wedges and parsley
sprigs.

Planked Pink Salmon with Pesto

Makes 4
- 6 servings

This is
a classic way to plank BC wild pink salmon. Serve it with a tossed
green salad and maybe some Fettuccini Alfredo.

two
cedar cooking planks, soaked in cold water overnight or at least a
couple hours

For the
pesto (for maximum convenience, you can use good-quality
store-bought pesto)

1 cup |
250 mL basil leaves, washed and dried

6
cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup
| 75 mL pine nuts

1 cup |
250 mL grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup
| 175 mL extra virgin olive oil

kosher
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Season
the filets with a little salt and pepper and set them
aside.

In a food processor, purée the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and
Parmesan cheese with 2 or 3 Tbsp | 30 or 45 mL of the olive oil.
With the processor running, slowly add the rest of the oil. Season
the pesto with salt and pepper.

Coat the salmon filets with an even layer of the pesto (you’ll have
enough pesto left over to toss with some pasta another day; it
freezes well, too).

Preheat the grill on medium-high for 5–10 minutes, or until the
chamber temperature rises above 500°F | 260°C. Rinse the soaked
plank and place it on the cooking grate. Cover the grill and heat
the plank for 4–5 minutes, or until it starts to throw off a bit of
smoke and crackles lightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Place
the salmon filets on the plank, leaving room around each for heat
to circulate. Cook the fish for 8–12 minutes, or to an internal
temperature of135°F |
57°C. Serve the salmon garnished with lemon wedges.